Famous fiddles to be played at Holyrood in aid of statue funds

A pair of fiddles that are thought to have been played together more than 200 years ago will be played by musicians at Holyrood next week to help fund a memorial to one of the original owners in Perthshire.

Dunkeld fiddler Niel Gow and Robert Burns, Scotland’s national bard, performed together in the Perthshire village in 1787 as part of Burns’ Highland tour.

Now, a pair of historic fiddles dating from the 18th Century are to be played together at a concert in Edinburgh to help raise money for a statue of Inver-born Gow.

Campaign leader Pete Clark will be playing Gow’s fiddle, with Mr Clark’s former colleague at the Royal Conservatoire set to perform using Burns’ fiddle, which rarely leaves its display case at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Ayr.

The event aims to raise the profile of Gow’s contribution to Scottish music and culture, and help raise funds for a statue in his honour.

A three-quarter size clay mould of the musician has been fashioned by Cupar sculptor David Annand and is now at a foundry in Edinburgh waiting to be cast.

Mr Clark explained that the annual Niel Gow Festival has helped raise funds for the statue, and the Twa Fiddles concert to be held on September 11 is another push to secure the remainder of the funding.

He said: “We’re hoping to be able to record an album with the two fiddles to help with fundraising.

“Theoretically, these two instruments could have been played together by Niel Gow and Robert Burns.”